A guide to public transport in Barcelona for first-time visitors

A guide to public transport in Barcelona for first-time visitors

Places like London and Paris are notorious for their expensive public transportation. Barcelona however, is surprisingly different and there are various well priced options for tourists to use to get around the city. Using public transportation can be daunting, especially if you usually get around by car. But with technology at the level it is these days, there is no need to worry. I have put together this guide to the public transport in Barcelona for first time visitors, so you know exactly what to expect.

Getting prepared to travel around Barcelona

The first thing I would recommend to first-time visitors to the city of Barcelona, is not a form of public transport, but a SIM card. Being able to use your mobile phone to help you get around the city in the quickest, most convenient way will allow you to spend more time relaxing and enjoying the sights.

Your mobile phone is a powerful tool for navigating a new city. Photo by Aidan De La Paz on Unsplash

Google offers great suggestions on which public transport is the quickest. Citimapper is a great app to use for getting around Barcelona (and other cities) and can help find the cheapest routes. Both these options require cellular data though and rather than racking up a massive international roaming data bill, it’s a good idea to get a SIM card.

Your first experience of Barcelona’s public transport

The first time you are going to need to use one or other form of public transport will likely be from the airport to your accommodation. You have a few options here: Metro, Aero Bus, Rapid Bus, Taxi, Train or Car.

Arriving at El Prat airport. Photo by Edgar Pereira on Unsplash

Whenever I land at El Prat Airport (formally known as Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport), I head straight to a vending machine at Terminal 2B to buy a travel ticket. At the vending machines you have a few ticket options. Most of these are applicable to all forms of public transport in the city. This includes the metro, the city busses, the trains and even the trams. This system is called the ‘Autoritat del Transport Metropolità integrated service’ and works seamlessly.

The only ticket that includes a metro route to and from the El Prat airport is the ‘Hola BCN’ travel card.  This route is via the L9 line and will take you to the centre of the city. If you would prefer not to go for a ‘Hola BCN’ card, this metro trip will cost you €4.60 (as of December 2019) each way.

Other options from the airport range in price from around €6 (as of December 2019) for the Aero Bus, to €40+ for a taxi. The Aero Bus is the fastest option but there are often long queues of people waiting to catch it.

View from a taxi cab in Barcelona. Photo by Stephan Mahlke on Unsplash

Travel cards for getting around Barcelona

I find the ‘Hola BCN’ card to be a great option for general travel around Barcelona. This is especially true if you are in the city for a short stay. You can get ‘Hola BCN’ travel cards for two, three, four or five days. They allow unlimited access to all public transport within zone 1. Luckily, zone 1 encompasses most of the city and is where you will find Barcelona’s main attractions. As the cards are only activated from the first use, they can be purchased online before your arrival.

If this doesn’t sound right for you, you do have some other ticket options. Most of these options allow for travel on any of the public transportation systems.

Barcelona Metro. Photo by Nenad Radojčić on Unsplash

A T-10 ticket allows you ten journeys on any public transport. A journey includes any public transport used within an hour after the first validation. This is a great option if you are planning on heading out of the city, as it is based on zones. The price of the ticket will be determined by the zones you will be travelling in. The more zones you need to go to, the more expensive the ticket will be. If you are considering visiting neighbouring areas, it would be wise to plan ahead, so that you know exactly which ticket you need to buy.

Photo by Ian on Unsplash

There is also the option of a single journey ticket, but this is not something I would recommend. These cost €2.20 (as of December 2019) each and are only valid on one mode of transport, in zone 1. If you buy a single journey metro ticket for example, you cannot use it on a bus. Save yourself the time, stress and money, and go for a ‘Hola BCN’ or T-10 for sure.

Ride the Metro underneath the sights

The metro in Barcelona is an incredible public transport system. The trains are modern, very well maintained and easy to use. The well designed signage will direct you with ease and ensure you don’t get on the wrong line. 

Sagrada Família metro station by Rúben dos Santos on Unsplash.

If you take my first point of advice and use Google or Citimapper, you will have no problem finding and riding the metro. There is no need to feel anxious if this is your first time using underground transport. The Barcelona Metro stations are quite expansive, so claustrophobia should not be an issue here. They can get very busy during peak times however. If you can, plan your trips wisely so as to avoid rush hour!

Jaume Metro station, Barcelona. Photo by jonathan Ford on Unsplash

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As mentioned, you can ride the metro on a single trip metro ticket, a T-10 ticket or a ‘Hola BCN’ ticket. You will need to present your ticket for validation when entering and exiting a subway station.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Monday to Friday: 5.00 am – midnight.
Fridays and evenings before a public holiday: 5.00 am until 2.00 am
Saturday night: no interruptions
Sunday night: until midnight

Hop on a bus to see the city while you ride

There are 109 bus lines across Barcelona and every operational bus is wheelchair friendly. You can get almost anywhere in Barcelona using just the bus system. 

Photo by M. R. on Unsplash

The busses use numbers to distinguish their routes, as is common in most cities. Use Google or Citimapper to find the nearest stop along the route you want to get on. When you see your bus approaching, it is a good idea to indicate that you are waiting to board. This way, the bus driver will know to stop for you and won’t pass by unaware.

Good bus etiquette in Barcelona is to enter and validate your ticket through the front door. When you get to your stop, it is best to exit through the back door.

Tickets for the busses are the same as those used for the metro. You can choose single trip bus tickets, T-10 tickets or one of the ‘Hola BCN’ travel cards.

Take a trip outside the city by train

The trains in Barcelona are called the Rodalies de Catalunya. The T-10 and ‘Hola BCN’ travel cards are valid on the trains, within the relevant zones of course. The trains are great for longer trips and watching the scenery fly by through the window. There are 8 train lines which run from within zone 1, all the way to zone 6, depending on the line.

Rodalies de Catalunya. Photo by Nenad Radojčić on Unsplash

Situated in zone 3, there is a little coastal town named Sitges. You could take the R2S from Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia and, less than one hour later, find yourself in another world. The trains are great for this sort of travel and are a scenic way to experience that extra little bit of the region.

Take a novel journey on one of Barcelona’s Trams

Barcelona’s trams are probably the most novel form of the city’s public transport. There are currently only 6 tram lines, although the system is expanding. While the trams on these lines are modern, Barcelona does still have an operational tram that is over 100 years old. This 1.3km tram line is named the “Tramvia Blau*” and takes you to the top of the Tibidabo Mountain.

The Tramvia Blau. Image by User 12019 on Pixabay.

Tram ticket options are the same as the bus and metro tickets.

*Unfortunately at the time of writing, the “Tramvia Blau” is closed for maintenance.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Monday to Friday, Sunday and public holidays: 5.00 am – midnight
Friday, Saturday and the evening before public holidays: 5:00 – 2:00